Contender Boat awarded to Denny Hamlin

“They said I won a 25-foot Contender boat, so that’s awesome. It’s just a heck of a way to go out.”-- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Denny Hamlin after exiting his car in Victory Lane on Nov. 17, 2013, at Homestead-Miami Speedway

Denny Hamlin topped Matt Kenseth by a 0.800 second margin to win the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17. The victory was No. 11’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup win in 2013, giving Hamlin at least one victory in each of his last eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons. “I think this does so much more emotionally to our confidence knowing that we can get back to the top,” said Hamlin. “For me it just makes me appreciate that opportunity that I have.”

Hamlin will also come to appreciate another bonus that comes with his South Florida race win – a brand-new boat made by elite boatmaker Contender.

From grandfather clocks to live lobsters, unique prizes to race winners have become a staple in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series world. In the Sunshine State surrounded by water on three sides, it’s only appropriate that Homestead-Miami Speedway upped the ante, and give race winners a need for speed that they can only get out on the open water: a brand new 25-foot Bay model Contender boat.

Transfer paperwork for the vessel is being completed this week and Hamlin will soon have a top-of-the-line boat to enjoy when he’s not racing any one of 38 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekends each year.

Beginning in 2011, the NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner at Homestead-Miami Speedway has received a marine vessel, which boasts a 250 horsepower Yamaha outboard. Along with the trailer and several customized options, its value exceeds $115,000.

The Homestead-based Contender boat company has been crafting its vessels for more than 25 years. It has produced more than 6,000 boats in the company’s short life span, with all components manufactured in-house including metal fabrication, carpentry, electrical and upholstery.